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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. key — in music
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. swing — in golf
  6. swing — music
  7. key — for a lock
  8. bulb — for light
  9. rash — a series
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. march — the month
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. rash — hasty
  14. firm — steady
  15. firm — decided
  16. bulb — for light
  17. key — the most important part
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. swing — to play on
  22. march — music
  23. march — the month
  24. rash — on the skin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com